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[Page 4]
Mountains that border on Port Philip, is a fine Meadow or Pasture Land, clothed with fine Grass & Thinly with small Gum & swamp Oak Trees, in places Patches of Tea Tree brush, the Soil apparently pretty good of the Depth of about 18 Inches, with a bottom of Clay; here is a small Creek of Fresh Water when a Boat might come in at half Tide, a Channell running thro' the Muddy Flat with which the whole of this Part of the Port is bound. At the Western Extreme of this Pasture Land, commences & runs all the Way Down to the Sandy Point abreast of the West Point of the Western Island, a Miserable low & Swampy Country for 3 or 4 Miles in composed of Salt Marsh intersected in Places with Small Salt Creeks, one of which at high Water is a Mile Wide at it's Entrance, with 2½ faths. Water but it runs in no distance until it becomes Shoal.
The Soil on some of the Points of the Western Island is pretty good, but for the most Part it is of a very Sandy Nature - the Centre of the Island is moderately high, but a great Part of it is low & Swampy & no Trees of any Size on it, but mostly clothed with thick Scrubby Brush.
Having carefully examined the Face of the Country in the Vicinity of this Port, I am of opinion that it possesses no great Advantages to render it an eligible Place for a Settlement. It is badly Watered, the greatest Part of the Land about it is low & Swampy & very few Trees of any Size were Seen. In comparing it with Port Philip which I was at the Examination of in 1803, in conjunction with Mr. Grimes, I have not seen any Part of the Western Port, in my opinion so